Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Jorge Prado goes into this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix with some points to make up on series leader Jeffrey Herlings and the second and third placed men in the MXGP championship points Romain Febvre and Tim Gajser.
Prado of course crashed out of the German GP a couple of weeks ago in a dangerous looking accident with Herlings and struggled in the French round of the series, last weekend as his injuries hadn’t healed enough.
Arriving at his home Grand Prix this coming weekend, you just know the youngster will be working overtime to make sure he has a good shot at taking his 36th GP victory. With 31 GP wins in the MX2 class and four in MXGP this KTM factory rider will eventually join the all-time greats at the very top of the winners lists. The pressure of winning is a pressure that Prado enjoys a lot.
“The pressure of having to win and that always affects your nerves,” Prado said. “I think they are good nerves. It is going to be a historic day and for any rider to win in his country is the best, it is the perfect occasion. Last year I adapted very well, and it was a perfect day, perhaps that is why it can be said that the circuit is going well for me. It is a not very fast track, but very technical, with many ruts, different track options and very big jumps. The terrain is very good for this sport, it is a very special track where you have to be calm to be able to ride fast.”
Last weekend in France it was a really difficult experience for Prado, and he could only manage 16-12 results for 14th overall. Like so many in the sport of motocross, battling injuries isn’t easy and for sure not in this current era of legends.
“Going to France I didn’t know if I could even ride the bike, but I had the mentality to try. I’m in the fight for the championship and to get some points is something. After these two races the cut looks OK and it’s not worse. It was a rough day because I didn’t feel there was much strength in the arm. I didn’t get a good lap in Timed Practice, so I didn’t get a good gate and then actually touched the gate for both starts with my front wheel! I did what I could, and I began to feel better in the second race. We got some valuable points and now we’ll get ready for the home GP because I want to bounce back as soon as possible.”
Having won the Spanish GP in 2020, and with a large crowd expected to cheer him on, you get the feeling that Prado might once again put on a show for the locals, and head into the final five rounds in Italy confident to add to his already impressive CV.
Author: Infront Moto Racing
